To many, Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng, known to many as “Dada Joe Remix”, was seen as a self-styled businessman and philanthropist.
He was a local celebrity of sorts, celebrated for his flashy persona and supposed real estate ventures.
But behind the scenes, Boateng is alleged to have orchestrated a sophisticated fraud ring that preyed on the hearts and wallets of vulnerable Americans, particularly the elderly, through romance and inheritance scams.
On 28th May 2025, Boateng was arrested and extradited to the United States on July 1, 2025. He will be facing charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
If convicted, Boateng could serve the maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Boateng and his co-conspirators ran a decade-long scheme, from 2013 to 2023, deceiving victims into believing they were entitled to nonexistent inheritances of gold and jewels, extractable only after paying fabricated taxes and fees.
The operation, prosecutors allege, defrauded victims of over $100 million, with funds laundered through networks spanning Ghana and beyond.
Court documents describe how he and his associates used fake profiles to pose as romantic partners or inheritance brokers, convincing victims to send funds for fictitious emergencies or administrative fees.
The Trend Of Romance Scams
Romance scams, as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) notes, thrive in the digital age, often beginning on dating apps or social media platforms.
Scammers craft compelling personas—charming suitors, wealthy benefactors, or distressed lovers—building trust over weeks or months.
For elderly victims, many of whom are socially isolated, these fabricated relationships offer a lifeline, only to morph into relentless demands for money.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported over $600 million in losses to romance scams in the United States in 2024 alone, with seniors disproportionately affected.
In 2021, a Ghanaian national, Richard Yaw Dorpe, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for wire fraud as part of his scheme to defraud victims on a dating website.
His victim was a 68-year-old recent widow whom he met through a dating website and started an online romantic relationship.
Between August 2016 and January 2017, through romantic manipulations, Dorpe convinced his victim to send clothes, jewelry, a computer, a watch, and over $300,000 to him.
He was eventually arrested by the FBI.
A more recent romance scam case involved a Ghanaian celebrity.
On May 15, 2023, Mona Faiz Montrage, aka “Mona4Real”, was charged and indicted with six counts of romance schemes and money laundering.
She was arrested in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2022, and later extradited to the US on May 12, 2023.
According to unsealed court documents, Ms Montrage had been alleged to have participated in multiple romance scams – often targeting elderly victims – resulting in more than $2 million in fraudulent funds.
She was sentenced to one year in prison after cooperating with authorities. and later released on May 22, 2025.
The issue has become so prevalent, there have been loud calls for “lifestyle audits” to investigate how individuals acquire unexplainable amounts of funds.
The “Fraud Boy” Persona
Dada Joe’s case has sparked some debate in Ghana, especially on social media. Most say he is getting what he deserves for his alleged crimes, while others say there should be a reservation of judgment till he’s found guilty.
Locally, the phenomenon of “fraud boys” has always been around.
The term “washing” has become a popular lingo for the crime of money laundering, especially in conjunction with fraud boys.
Individuals and businesses that appear to amass wealth without explanation are usually tagged with “washing” allegations, especially on social media.
Some would say that the majority of fraud boys operate from the same playbook. Most use their illegitimate funds to purchase and flaunt flashy cars and invest in high-end real estate in upscale neighborhoods.
The issue has become so prevalent, there have been loud calls for “lifestyle audits” to investigate how individuals acquire unexplainable amounts of funds.
In June 2025, the speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Alban Bagbin, announced that Parliament would begin drafting legislation to support lifestyle audits for individuals suspected of amassing unexplained wealth.
The speaker said that the proposed bill would empower state institutions to investigate public officials, politically exposed persons, and private individuals whose standard of living does not correlate with their known sources of income.
Joseph Boateng, aka Dada Joe Remix, is currently in the US awaiting his trial hearing. His case has put a spotlight on the rise of romance scams and “fraud boy” activity in Ghana.
If the lifestyle audit bill comes to pass, there will be more scrutiny on suspected individuals who are living large with unexplained income.
These developments could bring a ray of light to the underground of fraud, which seems to have been “normalised” in society.
